Nordmannia Myrtale (Mt. Hermon – Protected)

June 2013, couldn’t go up Mt. Hermon, Civil War raging in Syria, on its northern face. March 2012, couldn’t photograph butterflies because Mt. Hermon was snow covered. This image was taken on June 15th, 2008. I forgot that the future is Unpredictable. As you remember, at the time I thought that I could get yet a better photo of this rare butterfly. Rare because it’s only found on Mt. Hermon.

First identified in 1832 by Klug, this little Hairstreak has the tiniest little pair of tails, short and stubby, and missing here? The darkly speckled gray underside surely indicates that this is a female. The tiny yellow splash and black spot at the middle-rear of the hindwing help identify this as Nordmannia m.

They fly from May to August. But, if you are now crazed to travel thousands of miles in 2014 to score a fantastic image of this one, don’t book your flight . . . remember, it can’t be seen on Mt. Hermon because they are killing one another just down the mountainside, and only combat troops are up there, keeping these butterflies company, watching for terrorists and/or reporting ‘stray’ ordinance that just happens to fly over from Syria to Israel. Ho hum . . .

Much then remains to be learned about Nordmannia myrtale. The field guides are in Hebrew, the Israeli experts don’t . . . , and War! is being waged . . .

Jeff